The confusion chapter 1
by Gemeni9000
Summary: Marco has a new girlfriend Jan, but is she a controller?


I do not own these characters. I don't get profit from them. K A Applegate  
does. Praise her for Marco, Tobias, Jake, and the rest of them  
animorphs!!!!!!!!  
My name is Marco.  
That may not even be my real name, though. I can't tell you. But by now my friends, the animorphs, have probably explained why; Jake our fearless leader, Rachel who is the Barbie gone ballistic, Tobias, the bird boy, Ax, the local alien, and Cassie, the tree hugger.   
Which is a shame really, I'd love to give it out and let all the girls just ring me up for moral support.  
I'm available, yes, but that doesn't mean I never had a girlfriend, I had one, Janet, or "Jan" and she knew my secrets eventually, some of them, not that she gave me any moral support.  
"So you finally got another date, huh?" Rachel asked, we were in Cassies barn, Cassie busy mending a possums broken tail.  
"What, you jealous of her?"  
"I seriously doubt it." She warned.  
Well there you go. and you probably want me and Ax to scope her out, right? Tobias asked in thought speak, the telepathy we use to communicate when we morph.  
"You said it, bird-boy."  
Jake, my best friend, had to agree on this.  
"But while you're at it, we also have something to check out."  
"Uh oh. Trouble." just what I wanted.  
Jake gave me a look- "do you mind?" I stopped making wise cracks and let him say his say.  
"There's a recent discovery of a uranium deposit about a 2 hour drive from here, but according to Erek, it isn't heard about, why? Because the yeerks are mining it for their ships."  
"Any we have to stop them? But isn't uranium radioactive? Wouldn't it like, explode on us?"   
Ax cut in No, uranium, though it isn't a stable element, would only cause a nuclear reaction if energy is applied. And it would decay in anycase in a natural environment, not completely as it's rate of decay is exponential, but depending on it's half-life, it would be below your normal background radiation level in so many centuries, but in it's natural form, would occur oxidized as what humans refer to as "yellow cake", and-  
Thankfully, Rachel cut in "Alright already! I get the general idea! So it won't explode on us?"  
No, unless energy is applied. the worst it would give you is a mild dose of radiation sickness, maybe cancer which would be eradicated through morphing afterwards, unless you morph during the time you spend with the radiation  
"Ooookay, what happens then..........in english?"  
As you should know, radiation affects DNA and damages it, which is what causes cancer. When you morph, the DNA you are using to morph would be exposed and damaged making it incapable of allowing you to morph that DNA........  
"So I just won't be able to morph anything. What happens if I do?"  
You would be morphing the damaged DNA, and........ Ax thought for a moment how to explain it more quickly you would be morphing a tumor  
"Just great. So we have to stop them without morphing?" Jake grumbled.  
You should be able to be in morph, the risk would occur when you attempt to morph in or out during the time you spend in the radiation  
"Let's do it." Rachel, of course.  
"Shock horror."  
"And stopping this mining would stop the yeerks ability to make more ships here?" Cassie asked.  
The yeerks would find more uranium to make their ships which they would aquire from several other locations on this planet, but this would slow down their progress considerably  
Well, as long as we get to slow them down Tobias helped.  
"So we're doing this. There goes my love life." I couldn't help but pout.  
Jake rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Until we do this, Tobias should be able to check Jan out. You can go out with her. If she's a controller, well, let's figure out if she is one first."  
You know where she lives Marco? Tobias asked.  
I gave Tobias the address, then went home and flopped on my bed. I glanced at my history notes. I had to study Tutankhamen for a test on him tomorrow. A test that usually involves writing an essay or so. I don't know how I can cope with my 2 lives at the same time. I just wanted to lay on my bed listening to Powderfinger. So many thoughts going through my head............is Jan a controller? Will we be able to stop the mining instead of morphing tumors from some mistake? Did Iy kill Tutankhamun? Why am I listening to Powderfinger when I usually listen to NIN? I thought so much, I ended up thinking what I usually think every morning.......what happened to my mother?  
I didn't want to worry about it now. I had to look on the funny side of all.........but nothing seemed funny at all anymore. The world must be ending; I'm losing my sense of humor.  
I looked at the sky, the last time I saw her she was under trial and near to being executed.  
I focused on studying. Tried to keep my thoughts focused.  
"Marco! Dinner!" It was Dad. I heard a snap......my walkman finished it's tape. I was thinking something...couldn't remember at the moment, probably remember later. I was having pepper steak, which I like, it raised my morals a bit.  
I sat down at the table and dug into it.  
"So, I hear you're going out with some girl?" Dad asked.  
Wasn't any harm in telling him. "Yeah; Jan. It's our first date now."  
"Uh huh. How did you meet?" Nora asked. Nora was my new stepmother.  
"We've both known each other for a while, she's in my classes, she's one of the few people that appreciate my sense of humor. Anyway, I was pulling a prank..."  
Dad was concerned all of a sudden "What sort of prank?"   
"Um, I better not tell you,"   
"Marco!" He growled.  
"Okay, I was, umm, going to the same movie she was and, well, I was throwing maltesers everywhere."  
Dad grumbled. I felt somewhat relieved it wasn't so serious to Dad he would ground me.  
"Anyway, Jake, who was there as well, was like elbowing me, and the manager came up, but Jan who was in front of me giggling told him it was someone else. She told me I was so funny and she wanted to see me again."  
"That doesn't exactly mean she wanted to go out with you." Dad said.  
I shrugged "Well, with those words, it should mean she's implying that."  
"Good grief." Dad said.  
"Heh heh."  
"What's she like?" Nora asked.  
"Actually, she's a bit of a know-all, she thinks she knows everything."  
"Do you actually like her?" Nora wondered.  
"If she likes my sense of humor that much, yep."  
I finished my dinner and excused myself from the table to study for that test tomorrow. Just wanting to be a normal kid for once, not having to worry about my latest mission I have thanks to my job as an animorph.  
The next day I finished my history test. I felt somewhat better getting it off my shoulders. At lunch Jake caught up with me. "How did you go in your test?"  
"I did it. Wrote 4 pages of essay."  
"Marco, I don't think it matters how much you write, but how good you do it."  
"Oh well. It'll do."  
Jake sighed, and then whispered  
"We have to go to those mines tomorrow."  
"But what about Jan...?"  
"I'm sorry, but they're gonna double their guard the next day."  
I sulked. The sooner we leave, the sooner we would possibly get killed. So sue me, I'm a pessimist.  
And worse, after tomorrow, I would be on a date with Jan, without knowing if she was a controller or not.  
"Since when am I more important than a mission!?" I quietly yelled at Jake.  
"You're not. We may not be able to find out if she's a controller, but we can have Tobias and Rachel watch over you."  
I couldn't find anything wrong with that.  
"And another thing, about Jan, Tobias hasn't seen Jan go into a yeerkpool entrance yet, but........."  
"But!?"  
"But....she's been wandering around some of them. Checking them out..."  
"Wait a sec....do you think.."  
"Think what?!"  
"She knows?"  
Jakes eyes brightened. Then he looked shocked. I looked in behind me. Jan had come up.  
"Hi Marco!"  
Taking me by surprise, she made me jump.  
"Errrr...........hi Jan." I smiled at her. She smiled back.  
"How was your history test?"  
"Hey, I finished it."  
"I think you'll pass."  
"Passing is one thing, getting good grades is another." I noted.  
Jan smiled again. It wasn't a soppy, "I love you" smile, more like her way of saying "Uh huh, I hear you."  
"Um Marco, I was just thinking, maybe we could go out tomorrow instead."  
"Tomorrow?" I squeaked. "Tomorrow night!?"  
"Uh, yeah........it's just that the day after I'm going to my Aunts. Is that okay with you?"  
Jake elbowed at me.  
"I............."  
Jake elbowed me again. "Of course he is!" He intervened.  
"I am?"  
"That's great Marco! I'll see you tomorrow!"  
I turned to Jake. "I though we were going to those mines!!"  
"We can't all go. And this way if she is a controller, she wont get suspicious."  
"But I wont have you guys to back me up."  
The bell rang. I headed for my last class. On the way Jake and I bumped into a guy we knew called Gendo.  
"Hi Jake. Um I asked earlier if I can borrow some notes?"  
"Oh, yeah sure. Here." Jake handed them over.  
"Hi Marco. You going out with Jan?"  
"Yeah."  
"You going to the Sharing?"  
"Why?" Jake and I asked almost simultaneously.  
"Oh, I just thought, you know, because Jan goes sometimes, maybe you'll join up."  
"Er no," I was just outside my next class. "But thanks anyway."  
The moment he left, I felt like collapsing.  
Jake swore. Jan was more likely to be controller. The teacher came and hurried us in.  
The moment I got home, I called Jan. I had to delay the date.  
"Hello? Jan?"  
"Yeah. Hi Marco, what's up?"  
"Jan, I don't know if I can make it to our date tomorrow."  
Jan sounded a bit upset. "Why?"  
"I'm, um, sick.........I've got this headache......"  
"A headache?"  
"Yeah. I've been feeling really drowsy, too, and.."  
"Marco, you're not really sick, are you?"  
"Huh?"  
"You just don't want to go out on a date with me! You don't love me at all, do you?!"  
"Wait! Jan! It's not that!"  
"Yes it is" Jan started to cry. "You hate me!"  
"Jan! Look, if it means that much to you, I'll come anyway."  
"You will?" Jan sounded happier. I didn't know what I was doing then. I couldn't stand to hear Jan like this, even if it wasn't the real Jan.  
I sighed. "Don't worry. Just don't blame me if you start getting my bug."  
For a moment there was a pause.  
"I won't Marco. I never will."  
She slammed down the receiver. I was too distracted to wonder what she meant.  
I rang up Erek.  
"Hi Erek, look, Erek, Jan goes to the sharing, right?"  
"Jan..."  
I gave Erek her last name. He gave the expected answer; yes.  
"Why?"  
"Why!? she's going out with me!!!!!"  
Erek started to sound worried. "Why don't you break up with her!? Stand her up or something?"  
I remembered our telephone conversation. The way she alienated me.  
"I...look, do you know if she's a full member?"  
"Wait a sec......." Erek could talk to all of his fellow chee on a 'cheenet', and would be at this moment finding out what I needed to know.  
After a moment he came back. "Its uncertain."  
I took a deep breath. I told him what was happening yesterday.  
"Hey, why don't I just play you?"  
It was the best suggestion I heard all day.  
I wasn't exactly thrilled at having someone else go out with Jan, but as much as I probably admired Jan, I didn't want to be caught.  
I morphed an owl just as I was leaving for the woods where we were going to meet. I checked on Erek and Jan. She didn't expect a thing. Yet.  
"So, Marco, where are we going to after the movies?"  
I flew away, I was late already.  
  
Everyone was there. Rachel was eager to get going. I came up with some joke like I  
usually do.  
We stopped a good distance from the mines.The plan was we would morph moles just  
where the radiation would end, where most of the trees seemed to grow more wildely,  
and I would stay as an owl and put them close to the mines. I was going to be at a date  
after that, but this way I could look out for them.  
It was more of a job Tobias would end up with. But I didn't complain. I watched them  
shuffle down the mine and listened to their thought-speak. Men in radiation suits came in  
and out with some crumbly, yellow stuff that glowed slightly. Taking it elsewhere to be  
refined.  
Hang on, Ax? Jake asked.  
Yes prince Jake?  
Jake didn't bother saying don't call me prince. They would have several sources of  
uranium, but how many refineries would they have?  
Ax sounded brighter. They would have only one, as they would need to refine the  
uranium more than human methods could, so they woud have to buy it, or make it, either way they would have to have less to cut costs or save time.  
So we find out where this refinery is and get rid of it Rachel explained.  
It would be in space Ax pointed.  
Well then, we find out how to get to it  
I noticed the men in radiation suits brought the ore down the mine.  
I think we're on the wrong end. Those guys are going deeper with the ore. There's  
probably another entrance where they ship it to where they would send it to space I  
pointed.  
Well, then, we'll just have to follow them, then. Rachel took off first.  
I took off, I didn't know how big the mine was, but I couldn't see another entrance.  
Tobias gave some observations It seems to be turning around in the opposite  
way.......AAAAAHHHHHH!  
Tobias!  
Some guy kicked me. He didn't see me, but they have torches  
We'd better avoid them Jake ordered.  
Cassie found a way. Hang on, I found some gutter  
Marco, can you still hear us? Jake asked.  
Loud and clear. I'll fly arould if you start breaking up.  
Okay. We've found some small cargo train, we're going to hitch a ride with the  
uranium ore.  
I feel sick. Really sick Cassie complained.  
It will go away when we morph out. Ax reminded her.  
They kept some talk to keep their spirits up. Oddly, they turned around towards the city.  
And they sounded like they were getting deeper.  
Ax was usually silent. But when he did talk he sounded shaky.  
Ax, how are yo doing?  
Ax didn't answer.  
Ax?  
Ax! Cassie called.  
The ground. It's closing all around me!  
Oh great. Ax was an andalite, which unfortunatley are claustrophobic.  
Ax! Get a grip! Rachel yelled along.,  
I'll be crushed!  
Ax? Cassie tried to help. Hang on. Okay? It wont be much further.  
Trapped!  
Ax! Tobias this time. Please! I'm having trouble myself. Get a grip!  
Trapped! Closed in! Have to morph out!  
This made everyone start to panic.  
Ax! Don't! You told us if you morph out.....  
They were getting fainter.  
Don't morph! Jake ordered.  
Ax, how is morphing out going to help? Rachel tried to stop him.  
I don't care! I want to run on my own hooves! I'm not going to be trapped like this!  
Tobias started next. Now I'm getting nervous!  
I don't care! I want to get away! I cant stay here trapped!  
I'm starting to get the feeling myself!  
Ax!  
Oh no! Ax! DON'T!! Cassie yelled.  
Rachel yelled He's morphing out!  
I see light! Cassie observed.  
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!  
AX!  
And, though I couldn't see what was happening, I had a vague idea. And with the way the  
other were reacting, in my imagination, the ideas became worse.  
Cassie, who apparentely saw light, saw what was happening to Ax. Oh no  
AX! Jake cried. Morph back!  
He can't do that, otherwise his normal DNA will be damaged. I reminded them.  
We have to get him out of here! Away from the radiation.  
Tobias?! Then Rachel saw.  
TOBIAS! Oh no! He morphed out too!!  
We have......carry........ Jake was getting fainter. ...wards .......light  
Jake! Cassie! I'm losing you!  
Oooooooohhhhhhhh Tobias this time.  
Tobias you..................... Rachel said faintly.  
I flew around, trying to get closer to wherever they were, which seemed to be close to the  
mall.  
I waited to find out if they would make it. mostly all I could hear was Tobias and Ax  
graoning, and the girls reassuring them.  
After a long wait, Jake finally spoke up. There was a high dread in his thought-speech.  
Oh ..............it's...............pool!!  
I didn't need to hear all of it to know what Jake meant. The other side of the tunnel,  
where the mines led, was the yeerk pool, where the uranium was gathered and shipped to  
its refinery.  
Oh great. I muttered.  
Marco........... can't get past......security ........, neither..... you  
Jake! What am I supposed to do?  
Get.........., okay?.........Erek  
I got the idea, Jake could get Ax and Tobias away from the radiation, but Erek could get  
them out of the yeerk pool.  
I'll be right back.  
I hoped Jake got my last message. It would be hard to find Erek, he was on a date as me  
with Jan. I knew we were going to see a movie tonight, so I tried there. It was just where  
I was. How convenient.  
I morphed out of an osprey. It reminded me, how long was everyone in a morph? Jake,  
Cassie, and Rachel could be trapped in a morph soon, and die of radiation sickness  
because they couldn't use the morphing process to heal themselves. I hurried all the  
more.  
I morphed into a mouse. It's night vision was okay, for a mouse. I couldn't see much  
above me though.  
I scurried under the fire exit of the theatre. Luckily, it was only the second floor up. I  
scurried along on little mouse legs up the stairs and smelled rotten popcorn and spilled  
coke. I crawled through a hole and found myself behind an old box of popcorn that  
wasn't cleaned away. I was sitting on a carpet floor. Dark. I smelled humans. I called  
Erek.  
Erek!  
I heard a faint "huh?" towards the back.  
Erek, if you can hear me, cough.  
I hear a loud cough in the same direction.  
Erek! Ax and Tobias are in trouble, and the others are stuck in the yeerk pool. they need  
to morph out without getting spotted and attacked. We can't get past security.  
I heard an acknologing cough. I heard Jan murmer that 'I' really must be sick. I heard  
Erek say he needed to go the bathroom.  
I felt hands pick me up. Smelless hands.  
Suddenly, I was in light. I heard Erek murmer to me.  
"The closest yeerk pool entrance is at the toilets here."  
Erek put me down. "There are people here. Don't morph out."  
I crouched in a corner on the linolem floor behind a couple of toilet rolls.  
I waited. A long wait. Then I saw Erek as himself pick me up with several moles in his  
arms. He must of used his hologram to hide us and carry us all.  
Then I saw Ax and Tobias.  
Oh no I moaned.  
Two moles, covered in black veins, like they were covered in some vine that went under  
their skin. Ax had at least morphed his extra legs.  
"You can morph now." Erek assured.  
Aside from Tobias and Ax which slowly morphed back to normal moles again.  
I morphed out. Despite all that was happening, I reminded myself of Jan, who was  
probably getting suspicious by now.  
Erek assured me everyone would be okay.   
I went back to the movies. I looked around for Jan, and found her.   
"You took you time."  
"Sorry, I threw up."  
Jan settled with that.   
She handed me some popcorn.  
"No thanks. I don't like popcorn here."  
"You said you liked it earlier."  
"Oh yeah."  
I shrugged. Great. Erek was playing me before. And I had no idea what he did earlier. I  
choked down the crappy popcorn.  
I hadn't watched this movie. I hadn't seen it before, and I hadn't seen the beginning, so I  
was totally clueless to what was happenning in it. And jan noticed.  
"Hey, how come you changed your clothes?"  
I forgot. I had morphed earlier. The only thing anyone could morph was skin tight  
clothes.  
I was going to answer, when I heard Jake.  
Marco! Get here quick! Tobias and Ax are nearly stuck in morph!  
That made me jump.  
"Jan, I have to go for a moment."  
"Again?" She sounded suspicious.  
"Sorry." I pretended like I was going to throw up.  
"Okay, need help?"  
"No, no, I'll be fine."  
She watched me go. I hurried towards the toilets.  
Tobias and Ax had morphed out a bit, but they would be trapped as freaks, half moles.  
Ax was nearly completely normal, except he had mole claws and only four legs and came  
up to my chest.  
"What am I supposed to do?!" I asked.  
"I don't know!" Jake yelled at me back.  
"Guard the door." Cassie explained.  
Rachel knelt next to Tobias, reassuring him. Slowly, he morphed back to a hawk. Ax was  
doing worse.  
But slowly, Ax returned to his usuall alien self.  
I breathed a sigh of relief. Erek, seeing everything was alright, put up his hologram and  
left.  
Rachel became aware of where they were.  
"Hey! We're in a men's toilet!"  
"Rachel! You devil!"  
"I don't want to be caught in here. I'm morphing." Cassie said embarrassed.  
Jake hid a smile. "We'd better all morph back."  
I was too relieved that everyone made it. I had forgot about Jan.  
We all started to morph flies.  
My eyes split up. my two eyes became 2000, extra legs came up out of my chest, my skin  
started to harden.  
I finished morphing. Then I remebered.  
Hey! Jan's waiting for me!  
Better morph back then Jake said.  
My head grew out of my fly body. I had a strong urge to cry "hhhheeellllpppppp  
mmmeeeee!!!!!" if I could speak or thought speak. My extra legs sucked back in. My legs  
grew fat and turned back into human legs. Hands grew out of my fly arms.  
Someone knocked at the toilet door.  
"Marco? Are you all right? You're taking a long time. I was worried." It was Jan.  
I still couldn't say anything.  
"Marco?"  
Jan, concerned for me, opened the door. I could speak!  
"Jan! Don't...!"  
Too late.  
What Jan saw was me, with a fly exoskeleton, fly wings, fly arms, and a fly butt.  
"Marco?" Jan gasped. She looked white. Jan swore and hurried away, fists clenched.  
"Jan!" I tried to go after her, but with my fly butt I lost my balance and fell backwards.  
I finished the morph.  
Marco, what just happened? Rachel asked.  
Marco?! Jake asked this time.  
"Jan saw me!" I whisper-scowled. "She saw me morph!"  
Jake swore.  
"I have to go after her before she tells someone!"  
Jake agreed. I ran out. I hurried through a crowd of people coming out of a movie.  
Couldn't find her. I ran backwards and forwards through the mall. There was no sign of  
Jan.  
  
  
  



End file.
